Lady Cardinals: Conference Champs

The Lady Cardinals played the 2008 1-AAAA Conference Tournament this week. They opened with a 10-0 shutout of Prairie Grove. Skyler Smith went to 18-5 for the year and Kala Crisp went 3 for 3 with 3 RBI to lead the offense. Lacey Kragel went 3-4 (double, 2 RBI), Samantha Luther went 2-4 (2 RBI), Katy Chavis was 1-2 (BB, double and 2 RBI), and Ashley Gourley was 2-2.

In the Championship game Monday at Gentry, at 5:00 p.m., they played the Gentry Lady Pioneers for top seeding at Saturday’s Regional Tournament. Farmington won the conference championship, 7-1, behind the 6-hit pitching of tourney MVP Skyler Smith, now 19-5. Katy Chavis was 2-3 in the game, Kelly Helton had three hits (double, 2 RBI), Kragel was 2-3 (BB, SB, RBI), and Crisp was 2-3 (double, SAC, RBI). All-Tournament performances were turned in by Kala Crisp, Kelly Helton and Lacey Kragel.

Congratulations Seniors 2008!

Kelly Helton, Ashley Schurtz, Stephanie Burnett, Taylor Ball

Monday was Senior Night as we honored the 4 “Nicoles.” That’s right…all 4 seniors, Stephanie Burnett, Kelly Helton, Ashley Schurtz and Taylor Ball, have the middle name of “Nicole.” The Lady Cardinals clinched the Conference championship and a 6-0 conference record with a 15-0 win over Berryville. All four seniors had 1 RBI in the game.

The JV also won their game, 6-1, to finish their regular season with a 12-2 record. They were 6-0 in conference, out-scoring conference opponents 40-7.

On Monday, the Lady Cardinals traveled to Clarksville, but lost a close game 6-4. Lacey Kragel hit a 2-run Homerun in the 7th inning to set the final score. On Thursday, the Gravette Lady Lions returned to town to complete the suspended game and were defeated by the Lady Cards, 7-0. With the win the Lady Cardinals moved to a 5-0 league record, with one league game remaining.

Over the weekend, the Lady Cardinals went to Memphis (Cordova), TN, to play in the St. Benedict tournament. It was a very successful trip, with the Lady Cards going 4-1 vs. out-of-state competition and a runner-up finish. The Lady Cards beat each team in the tourney once, but dropped the championship game to St. Benedict’s, 7-5 in extra innings. Sunday morning was spent with a fun trip to Graceland on a very pleasant morning.

In Game 1, after a rain delay Friday night, the Lady Cards defeated the host team, St. Benedict’s of Auburndale, 8-4. Morgan Clark had 2 hits and 2 RBI and Skyler Smith had 2 hits and 1 RBI. Kelly Helton also chipped in 2 RBI. Smith picked up the win in the circle. Saturday, the JV team played Sycamore’s JV (TN) and was defeated in a close game, 3-2.

In Game 2, the Lady Cardinals beat SBEC from Southaven, MS. They overcame a 3-0 deficit in the first inning to win 5-3. Smith was the winner in the circle and Lacey Kragel led with 2 hits, including a 3-run Home run. Teighlor Williams contributed a 2-RBI double as well.

In Game 3, they beat Lake County, from Northwest Tennessee, 16-1 in a rule-shortened game. The third inning saw 17 Lady Cards to the plate to collect 13 runs on 13 hits, including contributions off the bench from Ashley Schurtz (RBi double), Amber Williams (3 runs, SB), Holly Wrobel (RBI single, SB), Jordan Stevens (RBI), Taylor Ball (RBI single), and Stephanie Burnett (RBI). Morgan Clark had a 3-3 game with a walk.

Game 4 saw Katy Chavis pick up her 3rd varsity win this season with a 5-4 victory over Sycamore. Kelly Helton was 2-2 and Skyler Smith had 3 RBI and a double to lead the offense.

In the championship game, both teams came from behind before SBA prevailed 7-5 in 8 innings. Offensive leaders were Samantha Luther (4-4, 3-run HR), Morgan Clark (3-5), and Kala Crisp (2-3, BB, RBI).

Week 5: Not much to say…too wet to play.

Three innings vs. Gravette before storms postponed the rest of the game. FHS leads 2-0 in the 4th inning.

Week 6: What a Week! Three conference wins and a three-hit shutout and two one-hit shutouts for pitcher Skyler Smith! First, Monday at Huntsville (14-0), then Thursday at home vs. Greenland (15-0), then Friday night at Gentry (2-0). The Lady Cardinals are now 4-0 in conference play with the Berryville game and the completion of the Gravette game to go for a conference championship!

There were hitting stars as well this week. Start with Samantha Luther’s 3 Home Runs and 4 RBI vs. Huntsville and go to Lacy Kragel’s blast into the 30 mph winds over the centerfield fence at Gentry Friday in a 2-0 win.

In the Huntsville game, Lacey Kragel had two triples, Morgan Clark and Kala Crisp each had a single and a double. FHS won the JV game also, 11-2. Against Greenland, Kelly Helton was 3-4 with 1 RBI, while Shelby Culver (1 double) and Teighlor Williams (2 SB) each had 2 hits and 2 RBI. Kragel also had 2 RBI on 1 hit, a double. At Gentry, Kragel provided the offense with 2 RBI on her solo homer and a RBI groundout.

FHS JV also won their 3 games, 11-2, 8-0 and 6-4.